Sutportistgr falling table-leaves



0. PHELPS. SUPPORTING TA'BLE LEAVES.

Patented Nov, 29, 1853.

CHARLES PHELPS, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS.

SUPPORTING FALLING TABLE-LEAVES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 10,285, dated November 29, 1853.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES PHELPS, of Salem, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new Mode of Supporting Table-Leaves in a Horizontal Position; and I do hereby declare that the following'is a full and exact description.

I call it a self acting support for table leaves. It is composed of three pieces of cast iron or any other suitable material, and a spring of steel or any other suitable mate rial; the apparatus is represented in the drawings (hereto annexed) by the letters D, B, A, E.

D is a plate of iron screwed to the under side of the leaf when in a horizontal position to which the brace B is attached by a hinge joint. The brace B is a bar of iron about twelve inches in length, with a curve at the upper end, forming the handle C in the plan; at the other end there is a projection represented by F on the upper side,

and the spring on the under side represented by the letter E.

A is a plate of iron about five inches in length and about one inch wide, through which near the lower en'd'there is an oblong hole about one and a quarter inches long and five eighths of an inchin width; near the upper part of said hole there is a pin which crosses it marked G on the plan; this plate is screwed to rail of the table near the center thereof projecting below it from one to two inches; the pin G forms a rest forthe projection F when the leaf is up.

The action of the parts is as follows: When the leaf is down or in a perpendicular position, the brace is in the position reprethe catch F passing under pin G. After passing, the brace B rises carrying the catch F, above the'pin G'by the action of the spring on the lower part of the hole in A marked G. The brace is released by drawing the handle C toward the edge of the leaf, which draws the catch F below the pin G and allows the brace to pass through the hole in A.

,I do'not claim merely the application of a hinged brace for supporting the leaf of a table, as that is a device well known for like purposes; nor do I claim the making it slide in a staple, or guiding aperture; neither do I claim the use of aspring for ]throwing it into its catch, merely as such;

lVhat I claim is The application to the falling leaf of a table, of a hinge supporting brace, in the form of a bent lever combined witha spring on the underside, for throwing it upward into its catch; whereby the table leaf can be conveniently released to let down by a pull at the short arm of the bent lever as described.

CHARLES PHELPS. Witnesses:

WM. PHELPS, J r., ISRAEL R. PHELPS. 

